Raise Your Hand If You Want To Listen To Something Else

This track is awful, someone skip it! This project does just that with a wave of your hand. A laser beam shines across a room and, when obstructed, it sends a command to an iPod. One wave pauses playback, two waves skips to the next track, and a constant obstruction jumps backward one track.

They’re using a textile-compatible electronics platform called Schemer. This is the first time we’ve run across this product which uses a modular system to connect devices via a 1-wire communications bus.

No matter what hardware you use the concept is what interests us. There’s no shortage of iPod remote projects to draw on as examples. This method seems a bit more fun than banging your head for track changes or slapping wildly at an over-sized remote. We’re just a bit concerned about the power consumption of the laser-pointer, perhaps an IR beam would be a more economical choice?

18 thoughts on “Raise Your Hand If You Want To Listen To Something Else

  1. Well this is interesting and all but it gives me a better idea. Voice command remote; Im thinking use a single clap to get it to start receiving voice command input. Some commands like ” Play”, Shuffle”, ” Pause”, and ” “Release the droids.” Man i really need to take up Microcontrollers.

  2. and this is better than using the IR remote how?

    hey grab the remote and change the song, no wait stand up and wave your arms!

    what’s next? a ipod interface that requires you to calculate prime numbers for track changes?

    Hey! I hate this song! type in the first 3 prime numbers after 1500 to skip the next track.

  3. @shadowruni

    They’d need a few more lasers for that.

    Also, did you read “And Another Thing…” ? It’s not by Adams, but it provides a bit happier ending than “everybody dies.”

  4. Power consumption of a laser pointer is probably much smaller than that of the audio system; they have a 5mw output.

    Lasers in other colors seem to be commonly associated with higher power, which makes them not eye-safe. I’m not sure if the higher power is required but it’s clearly a risk.

Leave a Reply to googfanCancel reply

Please be kind and respectful to help make the comments section excellent. (Comment Policy)

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.